Too Late
by chasingcolors
Summary: She was right all along. But it's too late now. [ sasusaku ]


disclaimer - I don't own Naruto.

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Swish! Slash! His silver sword swung towards another enemy soldier.

"Argh!" The soldier fell limply to the ground and lay still. With no enemies in range, Sasuke stabbed his sword into the ground and leaned on it, panting for breath. He raised his head up and looked around. The steady flow of enemies had stopped at last, and it seemed that the climax of the battle had died down. The overpowering screams and battle cries had quieted to a few random skirmishes among the battlefield. Sasuke wiped the sweat off his brow with his gloved hand. The battle was finally over.

Suddenly, an iron grip locked onto his ankle and yanked for all it was worth. He crashed ungracefully to the ground to find the "dead" soldier clambering to his feet, fumbling for his sword. Sasuke moved fast; he wrenched his dagger from its sheath inside his boot and lunged—he knocked the sword out of the soldier's hand and plunged the dagger deep into his heart.

This time, when the red-uniformed soldier fell to the ground, Sasuke knew he wouldn't be getting back up. Heaving a sigh, he pulled his dagger out of the body with a cringe, wiped it on the red uniform, and sheathed it. He jerked his own sword out of the ground and sheathed it as well.

Once again, he looked up to survey the battleground. Men in black and tan uniforms like his own were tying up war prisoners and finishing off the hopeless cases. Brushing the dirt off his bloodstained clothes, he joined the ranks.

His best friend jogged over to him and grinned, shaking his shaggy blond hair. Naruto made a show of flourishing his sword before sheathing it.

"Still alive, Sasuke? Man, I mean it; this is a sign of the apocalypse!"

He grunted. "Still an idiot, I see."

"I think we're just about done here," announced Commander Kakashi. "_Let's pull back! _Load the prisoners onto the carts! Squads thirteen through eighteen! Take them to the dungeons when we arrive home! Now MOVE IT!"

And despite all the chaos he'd just lived through, and despite all the blood he's shed, Sasuke mustered a weak smile. "Home…"

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* * *

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He could see the village now; it was impossible to overlook those great stone and iron gates. This was his home: Konoha.

He had taken up his sword long before the Orochimaru had decided to expand the Sound Kingdom. Or, in other words, claim Konoha's kingdom. But it wasn't until the Kingdom had retaliated that he enlisted in the army as a knight, a soldier. But it was worth it, to fight for the land he loved so much.

And yet, that's not why he fought.

The army reached the great gates and stood. Slowly, the gates swung forward with a deep, baritone groan. Sasuke grinned; as the gates opened to reveal the city inside, a rush of noise came—thousands of voices, laughter, and everyday sounds all jumbled together. He listened—there was no ringing and clinking of clashing swords, no agonized screams, no panicked yells—just everyday, cheery, delightfully normal sounds.

But it wasn't this he fought for.

Suddenly, a single voice made itself heard over the racket.

"Sasuke!! Sasuke!!" a voice shrieked.

Sasuke turned around in time to see a fleeting flash of pink before he was tackled to the ground. He laughed. "How are you, Sakura?"

"Oh-my-god-I-was-so-worried-you-have-absolutely-no-idea-how-glad-I-am-to-see-you-I-mean-you're-actually-alive-still-I-thought-you-might-not-come-back-but-you're-here-so-life's-good-and—"

He put his hand over her mouth. "Somebody, stop the windmill. And what do you mean I'm 'actually alive?' First Naruto and now you… I come home after a tough battle, and that's the welcome I get?"

Sakura pried his hand off and kissed him lightly on the lips. "You _poor little baby_." Sasuke scowled. She just laughed.

He fought for her.

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The crescent moon shone brightly in the onyx night sky, casting inky shadows inside the high walls of Konoha. Slivers of pale moonlight cascaded through the glass window and slid over Sasuke's closed eyelids. And swooping through the sleeping city, a flock of carrier pigeons rose into the sky and dispersed. One gray bird soared to Sasuke's closed window.

The bird slammed into the transparent window, causing Sasuke's eyes to snap open. He instinctively snatched his dagger from under his pillow and jumped off his bed into a battle stance, ready to fight to the death. Until he realized that there was no enemy, just a squished bird.

"Damn bird," he muttered disdainfully as he opened the window. The pigeon hopped inside. Sasuke removed the bird's pouch and pulled out the tiny scroll inside. He unrolled the scroll and read:

_Orochimaru's army is advancing to the Valley of the End. Report to front of city. _

Sasuke cursed; the army had traveled quicker than they had predicted, meaning that Orochimaru's army would be battling them in Konoha unless they moved out to meet them in battle. And they couldn't risk his army coming to the city.

He swore again, thinking, _She is _so_ gonna kill me for this…  
_

Sasuke pulled on his uniform and armed himself. He scribbled a note to Sakura, and left it on the kitchen table. He was almost out the door when he heard a soft voice say accusingly, "Leaving already, huh? Is staying with me really that repulsive?"

He turned his eyes, knowing he was caught red-handed. "Sakura, you know it's not like that. The army—"

"Screw the army! I don't care! You told me, you _promised_ me you'd stay for awhile!" she raged.

"It isn't my fault! Orochimaru's army is coming towards us! If don't go now to battle them, they'll come _here_!"

"The army, the army, it's always the _stupid _ARMY!" Her face was beet red, her green eyes wild.

Now he was mad. "It's not stupid! Sakura, I'm fighting for you!"

"Loving me would be enough! I don't care about the fighting!"

He sighed. "Sakura, tell me this. Do you love me or not?"

"Yes."

He grasped her hand. "Then marry me."

She looked staggered. "W-what?"

"Marry me. So that the fighting will never tear us apart."

Her shocked look faded. "So that's it. You just want to marry me so I won't complain about the fighting. It always comes back to that!"

"It doesn't have to! Just tell me your answer."

Her eyes were narrowed, but she wasn't looking at Sasuke. "You should go. Your army's waiting for you."

Sasuke stared at her for a moment. Then he collected himself and walked back to the door. Before he stepped out, he heard her say, "I'll tell you your answer when you get back. So…don't die on me."

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Clink! Cling! SLASH! Screams pierced the air, and blood stained the ground as the silver moon watched over the battlefield. Pandemonium reigned; the two armies were too evenly matched. When one red-uniformed soldier fell, a Konohan soldier fell someplace else. Disorder struck the army from the inside out—squads were torn apart into single soldiers or pairs. If the Commander was yelling orders, they were lost over the chaos. 

It was the worst battle ever. The dim moonlight was the only light illuminating the war zone. And then a rush of clouds came and blocked even that out. It was dark—so dark, that it was nearly impossible to tell the rogue soldiers apart from the Konohans. SLASH! Who had he just killed, a friend or foe? He'd never know. Sasuke clutched his sword, hacking at any soldier lunging towards him, regardless of uniform. If he didn't, he'd die. This was survival of the fittest taken to a whole new level.

Then he saw one soldier running towards him. He seemed to be yelling something, but Sasuke couldn't hear what it was. He couldn't see the soldier's hair color or uniform, let alone his face, but he did see a sword in the man's hand. So he raised his own sword.

A number of things happened all at once: the final cloud made its way past the moon, leaving it free to light the battlefield. The sudden light illuminated the mystery soldier's face a second too late. His sword was already swinging down—down—

—down—onto Naruto.

He watched in horror as his blade, _his_ blade, slashed open his best friend's chest, and lodged itself into his heart. Naruto's piercing blue eyes were wide and shocked. He hadn't fully realized what happened.

Naruto lowered his eyes to his chest and saw the blade sticking out of him. Then he looked up again, meeting Sasuke's own eyes. They stayed like that for a moment. The battle still went on around them, but somehow, it seemed like nothing else important was happening.

Blood gurgled out of Naruto's mouth. His knees collapsed under his weight, his body weak. Sasuke was frozen, horrified, watching as Naruto lifted trembling hands towards the weapon still wedged inside of him. He feebly grasped the handle and tried to pull it out, but his arms failed him. And in one fleeting moment, their eyes met again. Naruto's voice was drowned out, but Sasuke could read the words on his lips.

Why, Sasuke?

And then he crumpled to the ground. Never to get up again.

By the time Sasuke realized it, he was too late. He crawled numbly over to his friend. Tears blurring his vision, he slid the sword out of him and threw it aside. He hugged his friend tight as the battle went on around them through the night.

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When he awoke, he was met with the worst silence imaginable. There were no voices. There were no birds singing. There was no wind blowing. Just a piercing, suffocating silence.

He cracked his eyelids open.

What he saw would haunt his nightmares forever.

Bodies everywhere, in both uniforms, limp as rag dolls. Everything was painted scarlet, the grass, the bodies, even the leaves on trees. Some of the soldiers' eyes were still open. They were wide and terrified, grotesquely popping out.

Sasuke couldn't stand it; he leaped to his feet and ran. His feet led him the way he came before, to home. Home, to Sakura.

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On the road to Konoha, there's this one giant hill. It was steep and slippery, but it radiated a sense of hope. Because once you were over the hill, you could see the gates of the city, and you'd know that you were almost there. And then, following the hope, came relief.

Sasuke felt the same hope. It was faint, but it was still there. He trudged the last few steps over the hill, knowing that that relief would be coming any second, just like all the other times.

It never came.

The great stone walls that protected the ancient city were literally blown apart. Only rubble stood in its place. The iron gates were torn off their hinges. Sasuke felt his heart stop beating for a second, and then it started hammering violently in his chest. The dread of what he would see inside increased with each step he took towards his home.

And then he was there.

Konoha was barely recognizable. The city was torn inside out; the palace was reduced to debris; all the shops and houses were in tatters, fires still blazing on what was left of the walls. Bodies littered the streets, and Sasuke felt the same sensation when he first woke up. He was mortified; it was obvious now. The first army sent by Salkyr was merely a diversion—another was sent to demolish the city. His heart felt like it was being squeezed, his arms were numb.

But then it struck him, a new thought that brought more terror than he had ever felt in his life: _Sakura.  
_

Sasuke had never run so fast in his entire life. His feet were a blur beneath him as he sprinted toward her house.

And then he was there. Fear gripped his heart with an icy hand as he swung her front door open. The house was in tatters—small fires ate the walls into ash; the furniture was smashed into fragments.

He nearly tore the house apart in his search. "Sakura? Sakura!" He yelled in panic. But he didn't hear her familiar lilting voice—didn't see her vivid pink hair or green eyes—nothing.

_Loving me would be enough!_

He collapsed to his knees by the only piece of unbroken furniture in the house—the table. Sasuke felt horrified, frightened, and mortified all at the same time. But then he saw it.

His note that he had left behind from her was still on the table seemingly undisturbed. His note of goodbye.

He laughed bitterly at the irony. Sasuke read the letter numbly, though it held no real importance.

Reality it him hard—Sakura was gone, gone forever. Sasuke slammed the note onto the table with a force that shook the house. But his eyes widened. _There was something there, on the back of the note._

Sasuke lifted the note up to his face. It held only one word.

_Yes._

He stared at the word, realizing what it meant. His heart was frozen, but he felt the tears on his cheeks.

_The army, the army, it's always the _stupid _ARMY! _

She was right all along.

But it was too late now.

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End file.
